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September 18, 2007
America's Deadliest Jobs
Overall, workplace fatalities edged down last year to 5,703 from 5,734 in 2005, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For many of us, the most dangerous part of the workday is the commute, but for many others, each workday is risky business.
The nation recently watched rescuers' efforts to reach six trapped workers in a Utah coal mine. In the same month, divers searched for bodies through debris and low visibility in the Mississippi River after a deadly bridge collapse in Minnesota. Then there are the hundreds of thousands of soldiers from all over the world in combat.
For many of us, the most dangerous part of the workday may be the commute, but for many others, each workday is a real risk. Fortunately, workplace fatalities overall edged down last year to 5,703 from an adjusted 5,734 in 2005, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) figures.
Mining does not statistically rank among the most dangerous occupations, and related accidents have generally dropped since passage of the Mining Safety & Health Act in 1977, which tightened safety standards. The rate of fatal injuries in the coal mining industry in 2006 was 49.5 per 100,000 workers, nearly 12 times the rate for all private industry, according to the BLS. This represents an 84 percent increase from the 2005 rate of 26.8 fatalities per 100,000 workers.
"Employees in coal mining are more likely to be killed or to incur a non-fatal injury or illness, and their injuries are more likely to be severe than workers in private industry as a whole," according to the BLS in August. Also in August, heavy flooding poured into two coal mines in eastern China, leaving 181 miners feared dead; earlier this month, 172 miners trapped in the flooded mine were pronounced dead as officials cited bad management as a main cause of the tragedy.
China's coal mines are the world's deadliest, with thousands of fatalities a year.
Every August, the BLS releases its report of fatalities in the work place -- and almost every year, the single deadliest job in the United States is commercial fishing. This year was no exception.
Based on the latest BLS data, and primary professional dangers noted by the BLS and Forbes, the following jobs have the highest fatality rates in the U.S.
1) Fishers and Fishing Workers
Deaths per 100,000 workers: 142
Total Deaths: 51
Dangers: Work in all kinds of weather, often hundreds of miles from shore with no help readily available; crew members risk falling on slippery decks, leading to serious injuries or falling overboard; potential hazards include malfunctioning fishing gear and becoming entangled in nets.
2) Pilots and Flight Engineers
Deaths per 100,000 workers: 88
Total Deaths: 101
Dangers: Risky conditions are most acute for test pilots, who check equipment for new, experimental planes, as well as crop dusters, who are exposed to toxins and sometimes lack a regular landing strip; helicopter pilots often engage in dangerous rescue.
3) Loggers
Deaths per 100,000 workers: 82
Total Deaths: 64
Dangers: Loggers are susceptible to high winds, falling branches and hidden roots or vines that present great risks around chain saws and other heavy equipment.
4) Iron and Steel Workers
Deaths per 100,000 workers: 61
Total Deaths: 36
Dangers: Most work at considerable heights, with the greatest cause of injury or death coming from falls.
5) Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Deaths per 100,000 workers: 42
Total Deaths: 38
Dangers: Some also work at great heights, occasionally in extreme weather; often, workers are exposed to fumes and hazardous materials that can impair their respiratory systems.
Rounding out the top 10 U.S. jobs with the highest fatality rates: farmers and ranchers (38 deaths for every 100,000 workers); electrical power line workers (35/100,000); roofers (34/100,000); drivers (truckers and salespeople) (27/100,000); and agricultural workers (22/100,000).
Of the 5,703 fatal work injuries last year, 5,202 occurred in private industry. Manufacturing fatalities were up 14 percent in 2006.
Resources
America's Most Dangerous Jobs
by Tom Van Riper
Forbes, Aug. 13, 2007
Mine Agency Set to Beef Up Rescue Teams
by Mike Gorrell
The Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 09, 2007
Flooding In China Leaves 181 Miners Trapped
CityNews.ca, Aug. 18, 2007
China Pronounces 172 Miners Dead in Mining Disaster
by Agence France-Presse, Sept. 6, 2007
Image: Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch
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29 CommentsHas anyone ever heard of toxic fumes from alum and cleaning out waste ponds at water plants?
September 18, 2007 2:28 PMuh, wait... there have been 42 different presidents i think, and what, 3 or 4 have been killed as a result (assassinated)
i think they should top the list
September 18, 2007 10:33 PMYou realize that top ten lists are supposed to count down right?
September 18, 2007 11:29 PMActually being the president of the U.S. is the most deadly job. 4 out of 42 have been assassinated for a 9.5% death rate. A total of 8 have died in office, though. Then (8/42)/4 years, then each president has about a 5% chance to die each year spent in office.
September 18, 2007 11:57 PMwhat!? no deep-sea welders? Astronauts?
September 19, 2007 8:52 AMHow about Soldier? almost 4000 deaths out of 160,000?
September 19, 2007 10:11 AMWhy isn't the military on this list?
September 19, 2007 11:13 AMInteresting that even though women make up only a tiny percentage of "fishers," both government and media are careful to use that gender inclusive term--while gender receives no attention when it comes to reporting that 92% of the reported workplace deaths were male. That "insignificant" fact is nowhere to be seen in this article.
September 19, 2007 2:19 PMI'm an outside salesman and did not realize how dangerous my job is.
Come to think of it, I was involved in 4 accidents last year posting 70,000 miles on my Toyota Corrolla. It spent at least 7 weeks in the body shop for repairs. It was a safe and dependable car. Maybe I should find an inside sales job.
Before I did sales I rode race horses. Check those statistics, have you ever hit the ground doing 40 mph and have a pack of horses run over you.
September 20, 2007 1:22 PMummmm ever heard OF FIREFIGHTING????????
January 2, 2008 1:03 PMI have heard that convience store workers have the most dangerous job. Almost every day one gets killed by robbers somewhere in the US.
March 7, 2008 2:12 PMFreakonomics said Timber cutter was the most dealy. Whats up who lied?
April 30, 2008 1:10 PMWhat abouts meth lab workers. If that's not dangerous, then why do 1/4 of the people that have them end up getting blown to smitherines!
May 20, 2008 10:55 PMFor anyone who thinks a job should be on here, it is a per ca-pita death rate. Not total numbers. So seeing as I've shown that I know what I'm talking about, being deployed to Iraq should be on the list at number six with 39 deaths per 100,000 death rate. Now you can even change that number a little more to look at deaths per job in the military, even though all the jobs are important and no loss should be thought of less, the infantry has a higher death rate, (or at least from what I know from my deployment) of around 3 times higher than the other jobs. Taking the number to 117 per 100,000. Even with that it only takes being a front line war fighter to being #2 on the list.Why the military does not fit the list though is because of how it is looked at. They don't count just people deployed, the look at the full military, state side as well. Even another number to understand is that with the 4,000 per 160,000 is not correct. 4,000 is the total number from the start of the invasion, and 160,000 is the total currently there, not the total number of people who have been in Iraq.
May 26, 2008 2:28 AMI work for a highly successful airline as ground support. We constantly work around moving heavy equipment and running jet engines. An "airstart" requires us to disconnect a high pressure hose used to start the engines. We are 5-8 feet away from a running engine during disconnect. One slip or brainfart and you are dead! Also, occasional bomb threats require us to remove all bags from AC for bomb squad. I guess selling shoes or cars is more dangerous. Had no idea!
July 21, 2008 4:44 AMpolice and fire, anyone?
July 22, 2008 5:11 PMI love Deadliest Catch!
July 26, 2008 3:12 PMI am a Power Lineman and that is a VERY VERY dangerous job!!!!
July 30, 2008 12:34 AMthe deadliest job in the u.s statistically is actually US president, 8 presidents have died in office and theres only been 42 different presidents thats 19% death rate (almost 1in 5). So far there have been 17 attempts at presidents lives, if anyone can find me a job that 1 in 5 people are killed on let me know. pondo32@yahoo.com
August 25, 2008 5:22 PMwell the most deadliest job in the us is being black
September 16, 2008 1:56 PMWTF?????? Fishing is more dangerous than FIREFIGHTING????? I am a firefighter myself and I have to say that this is pretty pathetic! I put my life on the line for you all who think that this list of jobs is more dangerous than my own? What is this world coming to????????? I see more and more firefighters dying every year cause of some idiots who think they can make meth or even when we die in the line of duty because the fire moved? We can't predict what's going to happen in our job, and if a fisherman can't watch/listen to the weather' then that's his fault!!!!!!!
December 7, 2008 5:33 PMEverybody's going to think their job is the most dangerous, but let me tell you there is risk in whatever you choose to do in life. Whether you decide to be a firefighter or a stock broker, there is risk in whatever is done. So we should all be happy to be employed and every one should just shut the hell up.
January 18, 2009 12:36 AMClearly, prolonged/ permanent damage to health, loss of limb or other extremities were not considered for inclusion in your wikipedia/ google search. American President!!? Decisions regarding the safety of any head of state is made for the individual by groups with access to up-to-date risk assessment.
If you're actually looking for a dangerous job, then maybe you should try mining for tin or diamonds in a third-world country where all information and statistical data is either non-existent or state controlled!!
January 20, 2009 10:10 AMNever knew fishing was so dangerous
January 22, 2009 1:02 PMDude, its not just fishermen -- its the Alaskan crab fishing. Has anyone ever watched 'Deadliest Catch' from Discovery channel?
April 27, 2009 8:34 AMWTF?????? Fishing is more dangerous than FIREFIGHTING????? I am > a firefighter myself and I have to say that this is pretty pathetic! I put my life on the line for you all who think that this list of jobs is more dangerous than my own?
yeah it's based on an arcane discipline known as "statistics"; maybe they don't teach it at ToughGuy Fireman School.
July 7, 2009 9:03 PMSeriously i gotta agree with most of the people that think their jobs are more dangerous. My cousin she's a firefighter and she says its dangerous, and i'm in the army. So, yeah it's pretty pathetic that someone like fishermen who can watch/listen to the weather channel and don't and get killed for it, its their own dam fault. People like me who don't know who's shooting at them have no idea what's going to happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 28, 2009 9:42 AMEverybody wants that in their "i did that job" life... to be able to say or be better than everyone else. "I'm a roughneck and have seen this and that."
Every industry depends on people performing a job. If there weren't people to do them, then we'd have more immigration problems than we do now. You want to brag or knock one's job, try it first. If you make it a month, then there 'ya go. If not, shut up.
Offshore/Land based roughneck!!!!! Hands down at least in top 10!!
December 13, 2009 1:40 AM
